Sunday, January 28, 2018

A COUPLE OF STRAY THOUGHTS ABOUT TRUMP AND THE NUNES MEMO

On Wednesday, as Republicans were clamoring to make public a secret document they think will undercut the investigation into Russian meddling, President Trump made clear his desire: Release the memo.

Trump’s directive was at odds with his own Justice Department, which had warned that releasing the classified memo written by congressional Republicans would be “extraordinarily reckless” without an official review. Nevertheless, White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly relayed the president’s view to Attorney General Jeff Sessions — although the decision to release the document ultimately lies with Congress.

Kelly and Sessions spoke twice that day — in person during a small-group afternoon meeting and over the phone later that evening — and Kelly conveyed Trump’s desire, a senior administration official said.

Do you think Trump discussed this at any length with anyone in his administration who has relevant expertise? I don't -- I think it's more likely that he discussed this with Mar-A-Lago guests, or the New York real estate moguls he chats with on his cell every day. Of course, the key advisers who had the most influence on this decision aren't named in the Post story -- Sean Hannity and the hosts of Fox & Friends. But maybe that just goes without saying now.

Do you think Trump has read the memo, or sought a chance to read it? I don't know the protocol on this, but it seems obvious to me that, say, Richard Nixon would have read the memo by now, either clandestinely or (if he'd been fortunate enough to have a bootlicker like Devin Nunes in charge of the House committee ostensibly investigating him) openly, by invitation. But I assume Trump is just like any other angry white guy on the couch watching Fox -- he knows this thing is dynamite, and he wants it out right now so true patriots like him can know the full measure of the Deep State's evil, but getting to read it now never occurs to him as a possibility.

The memo will, inevitably, be made public. Do you think Trump will even read it then? I doubt it -- the memo four whole pages, and probably includes few if any pictures. Also, it reportedly alludes to other documents to which Trump, as president, presumably has access, but which would bore and confuse him. Reading is hard! He'll never read it -- he'll declare it a smoking gun, but he'll never get through it.